The
Hasidic Rabbi, Levi Yitzhak of the Ukraine, said that he had discovered the
true meaning of love and humility from a pair of drunken friends in a country
tavern. While chatting with the owner of the tavern, the rabbi saw the men
embracing and declaring their love for one another.

Suddenly Ivan said to
his companion, “Peter, tell me what hurts me!” Sobered by such
a startling remark, Peter replied, “How do I know what hurts you?”
Ivan’s answer was immediate, “If you don’t know what hurts
me, how can you say you love me?”

Through their interchange, the two
companions underscored the fact that the true humility which issues forth
in love is not fostered by navel-gazing but by bending down to look up into
the eyes of another

. From that humble position, the hopes and needs, the hurts
and fears of the other are readily perceived; from that position of humility,
love can be offered and service can be rendered, not with an air of condescension
but with the warmth of compassion.